Bridget Prentice: My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor has made the following written ministerial statement:
	"I wish to make a statement on the development of the Supreme Court for the UK in the light of recent progress since the matter was last discussed in the House on the 24 July 2006.
	The Supreme Court implementation programme is on target to deliver the Supreme Court at Middlesex Guildhall in time for the start of the legal year in October 2009.
	As the House knows we submitted an application for listed building consent for the Middlesex Guildhall to Westminster city council on the 5 May 2006 and this application was considered at the Council meeting on the 7 September 2006. Throughout this process we have consulted widely with Westminster city council, English Heritage and with the local amenity societies and local residents. Westminster city council planning and City Development Committee resolved unanimously to grant the applications for planning and listed building consent, subject to formal authorisation from English Heritage and the completion of the section 106 agreement.
	We are currently working with English Heritage and Westminster city council to finalise the terms of the section 106 agreement.
	In parallel with the planning application we have now appointed Kier Group plc as our preferred bidder and we are in commercial discussions with them prior to agreeing the final contract. We expect to reach financial close with Kier Group early in the new year.
	The Middlesex Guildhall construction project remains within the capital construction cost estimate of £30 million (at 2004 prices) as detailed in my statement of 14 December 2004.
	The capital construction costs involved in the refurbishment of the Middlesex Guildhall will be met by regular charges over a 30-year period as part of the lease and leaseback arrangement we are using and I will be in a position to make a statement on these annual charges when we have achieved financial close. The asset value of the refurbished building, which may be different from the capital construction costs, will be recorded in the Department's balance sheet.
	In addition to the capital construction costs, the implementation of the UK Supreme Court will incur other costs such as DCA professional adviser fees, the project team costs and the non-capital element of the fit out costs including loose furniture, IT services and library books.
	The Middlesex Crown Court will cease sitting on 31 March 2007. We have developed detailed transition plans in conjunction with the judiciary to manage the relocation of court work, judges and staff. The intention is to create extra courts at Isleworth Crown Court. On 21 March 2006 the Planning Committee of the London borough of Hounslow refused planning permission for these extra courtrooms. On 25 May, an appeal was lodged against this decision and our appeal is due to be heard on the15 and16 November 2006. We expect to hear the outcome of our appeal early in the new year.
	Once we have reached financial close with Kier Group plc I propose to make a further statement describing the costs involved in setting up the Supreme Court and the re-provision of existing Crown Court facilities currently operating from Middlesex Guildhall."

Geoff Hoon: I wish to make a statement to the House on the Gibraltar Trilateral Forum, following the successful ministerial meeting in Cordoba, Spain on 18 September 2006.
	In consultation with the Government of Gibraltar the Trilateral Forum was established in December 2004 by my right hon. Friend the former Foreign Secretary (Mr. Jack Straw), and Spanish Foreign Minister Señor Miguel &Aacute;ngel Moratinos. It was hailed at the time as a major breakthrough for relations between the UK, Spain and Gibraltar. It gave rise to genuine optimism that we could set our historic differences aside and discuss practical issues that affect the people of Spain and Gibraltar.
	I am delighted that, after almost two years of intense negotiations, the trilateral forum has borne fruit. For the first time the UK, Spain and Gibraltar have negotiated together a three-way package of agreements. These demonstrate that we can work together to make a real difference to the quality of lives of people in the region despite our well-known differences on the question of sovereignty.
	A key feature in the forum is the full and equal role the Government of Gibraltar plays. Chief Minister Peter Caruana has shown considerable leadership and vision and has shaped the direction of the talks and negotiated constructively throughout, including on issues that were particularly sensitive for Gibraltar. It would also be remiss of me not to pay a particular tribute to Señor Moratinos and the Spanish Government. He and Prime Minister Zapatero have, I believe, shown courage and foresight in pursuing a more constructive policy towards Gibraltar.
	The substance of the agreements we have reached in September is ground breaking. They will deliver practical benefits to the people of Gibraltar and the surrounding region in the short term.
	The airport agreement will benefit the people and businesses of Gibraltar. Gibraltar's exclusion from EU aviation legislation is to be lifted and Spanish airspace restrictions will end; there will be a new terminal; and a greater choice of flights from Gibraltar, including to Spain and other European destinations. This will be a huge economic boost to Gibraltar. All sides are agreed that the arrangements on the airport have no implications for sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control.
	On the border crossing the introduction of red and green channels into Spain and two-lane access into Gibraltar should improve pedestrian and traffic flows. This is potentially a key development for the many people who cross the frontier for work, business and leisure reasons.
	On telecoms, Spain's recognition of Gibraltar's international dialling code +350 will improve cross border communications. And Gibraltarian mobile phone users will shortly be able to use their mobiles to dial home when travelling in Spain.
	Finally, a settlement to the long-running question of pensions payments for former Spanish workers in Gibraltar will, I believe, bring to an end a dispute which has been a priority for the current Spanish Government. As part of this settlement Spain has agreed not to charge the pensioners' healthcare costs to the UK (as they were entitled to do under EC directives). This agreement therefore represents good value for money to the UK taxpayer.
	The next step is of course to make the trilateral agreement work. The full and timely implementation of the agreement is vital as people will not judge the forum by its statements, but by what happens on the ground. I can promise that the UK Government will spare no effort to deliver the agreements we have reached. I am entirely confident that the Governments of Spain and Gibraltar will also implement the Cordoba agreements. They are a package and all sides are agreed that they must be implemented as a whole: there can be no cherry-picking.
	We will now look to build on these agreements to explore future areas of practical cooperation. With continued commitment from all sides, I believe we can make the tensions that have for far too long characterised cross-border relations a thing of the past.
	I am placing copies of the "Cordoba Ministerial Trilateral Forum Communiqué", and the annexes on the "Airport agreement" and the "Pensions Statement" in the Library of the House.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Command Paper response to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Report on East Asia (Seventh Report of Session 2005-06) was published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: www.fco.gov.uk.
	The Command Paper reflects the careful consideration of the FCO and other Government Departments. I commend it to the House.

Liam Byrne: I have made an authorisation under section 19D of the Race Relations Act 1976 as amended, to enable immigration officers and entry clearance officers to grant leave to enter or entry clearance in a form which permits the holder to work in the United Kingdom to participate in the UK-China Graduate Work Experience Programme otherwise than in accordance with the immigration rules.
	The UK-China Graduate Work Experience Programme will enable Chinese graduates up to the age of 30 to experience and develop a greater understanding of the UK during a working stay.
	Developing relationships with the likely future leaders of Chinese business will be to the benefit of the UK. China is the fastest growing major economy in the world and is therefore a critically important country in terms of the global economy and consequently in the UK's future position in the global economy. It is in the UK's interest to do everything possible now to develop links with the Chinese economy.
	I am placing copies of the authorisation in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

John Hutton: I am publishing today the "Opportunity for All—Eighth Annual Report 2006" (CM 6915-i and CM 6915-ii) of the Department for Work and Pensions. It will provide a progress update on the Department's seventh annual report published in October 2005 (Cm 6673). The report sets out our strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion, and reports on the indicators used to monitor progress. Copies have been placed in the Library.
	We are committed to achieving a fairer, more inclusive society where nobody is held back by disadvantage or lack of opportunity. I am pleased to report significant and sustained progress has been made on a range of our indicators. 40 of our 59 indicators now show an improving trend over time.
	Overall, there are now 700,000 fewer children living in relative low income than in 1998-99 (before housing costs) and around 440,000 fewer children in households where no one works. There are 2.5 million more people in work, with unemployment the lowest for 30 years. Ethnic minority groups and disabled people have seen improvements in their employment rates since last year.
	One million fewer people of state pension age are in relative low income and more than 2 million fewer are in absolute low income compared with 1997.
	This year's "Opportunity for All" report consists of two documents—Our Strategy and the Indicators document. The strategy document presents an overview in the 'life-cycle' approach, clearly setting out our progress to date. It draws on relevant departmental five year strategies and other key documents, setting out how we will achieve both our short and longer term targets. A chapter on child poverty sets out the cross-Government strategy which will deliver on our aim to halve and eradicate child poverty and to ensure all children have the best start in life. It outlines how many, and which, children experience poverty, and its consequences. It describes the progress that has been made so far to address child poverty.
	The Indicators document provides an important annual audit that monitors the progress of the Government's strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion. These reflect the multidimensional nature of poverty and social exclusion at different stages in people's lives, including health, education, housing, income and financial well-being.
	There is, of course, still more to do. Poverty and social exclusion are deep-rooted problems that have built up over many years. Tackling the root causes of poverty takes time as well as commitment and investment. It also requires a partnership across all sectors of society which recognises that rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. However, this report shows that we are now starting to see real signs of equally deep-rooted and lasting change that will help individuals and communities take control of their lives and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and deprivation.

Hilary Benn: I have agreed that a new UN fund to support ongoing peace talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel movement will receive £250,000 of UK funding.
	The "Juba Initiative Fund" will help to pay for the costs of the mediation process taking place in Juba, Southern Sudan. The talks aim to bring to an end the twenty-year conflict in northern Uganda, which has forced some 2 million people from their homes. Many of them now live in camps, fearful to return home.
	The UN has called for a total of £2.5 million for the fund. This will help to pay for the running costs ofthe mediation secretariat in overseeing the peace talks. The fund will also support the team that was created to monitor the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, signed between the Government of Uganda and the LRA on the 26 August.
	Since April 2005, the UK has provided over £29 million in humanitarian relief to the people of northern Uganda, helping to pay for emergency food, health care, water and sanitation, education and supporting efforts to better protect vulnerable children.